USA Career Guide- High School Teachers
Education needed to be High School Teachers
High school teachers must have a bachelor’s degree with major in content area such as chemistry or history. In addition, public school teachers must have a state-issued certification or license.
Teacher preparation or teacher education programs instruct how to present information to students and how to work with students of varying abilities and backgrounds.
Licenses and Certification
All states require teachers in public schools to be licensed, which is frequently referred to as a certification. Those who teach in private schools are not required to be licensed.
High school teachers typically are awarded a secondary or high school certification. This allows them to teach the 7th through the 12th grades.
Requirements for certification vary by state, however some common prerequisites are:
- all states require at least a bachelor’s degree.
- teacher preparation program and supervised experience in teaching, typically gained through student teaching.
- Some states require a minimum grade point average.
States typically require candidates to pass a general teaching certification test, as well as a test that demonstrates their knowledge in the subject they will teach.
Pay of High School Teachers
The median annual wage of high school teachers was $53,230 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,020, and the top 10 percent earned more than $83,230.
Job Outlook of High School Teachers
Employment of high school teachers is expected to grow by 7 percent from 2010 to 2020, slower than the average for all occupations. Overall growth is expected because of declines in student-to-teacher ratios and increases in enrollment. However, employment growth will vary by region.
From 2010 to 2020, a significant number of older teachers is expected to reach retirement age. These retirements will create job openings for new teachers. Teachers with education or certifications to teach in math, science (especially chemistry and physics), English as a second language, and special education specialties should have better job prospects.
There is significant variation by region of the country and school setting. Opportunities should be better in the South and West, which are expected to experience rapid enrollment growth. Furthermore, opportunities should be better in urban and rural school districts than in suburban school districts.
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